AUBURN – Residents of Lewiston, Auburn, Durham, Greene, Hebron and Sabattus can still register for the annual household hazardous waste collection scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27. This is the ninth year the event has been coordinated by Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments and sponsored by the cities of Lewiston and Auburn.

This year the collection is being held at the Auburn Public Works Garage, 296 Gracelawn Road. Interested residents should call the council at 783-9186 and ask for Susan or Carol; registrations are also being accepted by e-mailing Carol at [email protected].

Items being accepted include oil-based paints and painting supplies, pesticides, hazardous cleaning products, left-over pool supplies, gasoline and other fuels, solvent-based glues and other solvents. Propane tanks and other explosives are not being accepted; check with the local solid waste facility about proper tank management.

The theme for this year’s collection is “Don’t Even Buy It – Use Safe Alternatives.” Information on safer alternatives is available at www.avcog.org. Buy products which are corrosive, ignitable, reactive or toxic only when no effective alternative is available. Buy these products in the quantity needed; quantity purchasing is not cheaper when the cost of safely disposing of the unused material is taken into account.

When making a purchase, keep in mind that products labeled “Warning” or “Caution” are less dangerous than those labeled “Danger” or “Poision.” Always use hazardous household products according to label instructions; however, some products which were considered safe when purchased, such as diazinon, are no longer registered for residential use. Carol will help with questions about such products.

Many other towns in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties are undertaking local collections in coordination with the Auburn event. Residents should contact their town office or solid waste facility to find out if their town is participating or check www.avcog.org to see a list of dates, times and locations.